Published: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 7:01 p.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, November 14, 2012 at 7:01 p.m.

When Alex Dukes went shopping on Wednesday, she got a great business casual outfit, made a donation to people in need in the community, and raised awareness about hunger and homelessness in Spartanburg.

She completed it all in 30 minutes and she spent less than $12 to do it.

Dukes, a sophomore criminal justice major at University of South Carolina Upstate, participated in the school's first campus-wide Hunger and Homeless week. Beginning Monday, the school launched a six-day series of events organized by Americorps VISTA and the Office of Student Life designed to engage students in education on the issues of hunger and homelessness.

"It was just to show my perspective as a college student that you don't have to have a lot of crazy stuff," Dukes said.

Wednesday was Fortunate Fashion for Less Fortunate. Students were encouraged to shop at nonprofit thrift stores that serve a cause they believe in — like Goodwill, Salvation Army or Miracle Hill. Students then wore their outfit to the Student Life Center and brought their receipt and five canned food items to have their photo taken. Judges will look at the photos and receipts and determine who had the best fashion for the lowest price, organizer Daphnie Glenn said. Local restaurants have donated gift cards to serve as prizes for the week's events.

Glenn said she hopes the activity will encourage students to give to charitable causes and eliminate the stigma of thrift store shopping for those students who have no choice but to get clothing at thrift stores.

"We have a lot of students who can't afford a proper interview outfit or dinner wear for functions," Glenn said.

Thursday, students will be able to bring five canned goods to the cafeteria and get a free meal, and Student Life is participating in the annual Homeless Vigil put on by The Haven, a shelter for homeless women and families, at 5 p.m. in Barnett Park.

Friday, teachers are encouraged to donate professional clothing to Upstate's in-kind closet, which is stocked with items to be given to students with acute needs. The closet has clothes, soap, linens and other necessary supplies, Glenn said. Teachers can also donate canned goods for the privilege of having a "dress down" day.

"This whole project is about utilizing our resources and accessing all the departments," Glenn said. "We're really coming together to make this successful."

On Saturday, all the donations will be sorted and some stocked in the universities' stash to assist students facing difficulty and the rest brought to the Haven.

Earlier in the week students collected change for their cause using only a cardboard sign as a homeless person might be forced to and they packed lunches for a local soup kitchen.

For its first year, Glenn said she has been pleased with student involvement in the Hunger and Homeless Week events. As a metropolitan campus that serves a diverse community, many of the students have experienced hunger themselves. In 2008, Spartanburg County had the lowest per capita income and median household income of any urban county in the state, according to the Spartanburg Community Indicators Project.

"It's hit home for a lot of students in this area," Glenn said. "… You can ride up and down Asheville Highway and see it and that's sad, but you can see that it's a need in our community."

<p>When Alex Dukes went shopping on Wednesday, she got a great business casual outfit, made a donation to people in need in the community, and raised awareness about hunger and homelessness in Spartanburg.</p><p>She completed it all in 30 minutes and she spent less than $12 to do it.</p><p>Dukes, a sophomore criminal justice major at University of South Carolina Upstate, participated in the school's first campus-wide Hunger and Homeless week. Beginning Monday, the school launched a six-day series of events organized by Americorps VISTA and the Office of Student Life designed to engage students in education on the issues of hunger and homelessness.</p><p>"It was just to show my perspective as a college student that you don't have to have a lot of crazy stuff," Dukes said.</p><p>Wednesday was Fortunate Fashion for Less Fortunate. Students were encouraged to shop at nonprofit thrift stores that serve a cause they believe in — like Goodwill, Salvation Army or Miracle Hill. Students then wore their outfit to the Student Life Center and brought their receipt and five canned food items to have their photo taken. Judges will look at the photos and receipts and determine who had the best fashion for the lowest price, organizer Daphnie Glenn said. Local restaurants have donated gift cards to serve as prizes for the week's events.</p><p>Glenn said she hopes the activity will encourage students to give to charitable causes and eliminate the stigma of thrift store shopping for those students who have no choice but to get clothing at thrift stores.</p><p>"We have a lot of students who can't afford a proper interview outfit or dinner wear for functions," Glenn said.</p><p>Thursday, students will be able to bring five canned goods to the cafeteria and get a free meal, and Student Life is participating in the annual Homeless Vigil put on by The Haven, a shelter for homeless women and families, at 5 p.m. in Barnett Park.</p><p>Friday, teachers are encouraged to donate professional clothing to Upstate's in-kind closet, which is stocked with items to be given to students with acute needs. The closet has clothes, soap, linens and other necessary supplies, Glenn said. Teachers can also donate canned goods for the privilege of having a "dress down" day.</p><p>"This whole project is about utilizing our resources and accessing all the departments," Glenn said. "We're really coming together to make this successful."</p><p>On Saturday, all the donations will be sorted and some stocked in the universities' stash to assist students facing difficulty and the rest brought to the Haven.</p><p>Earlier in the week students collected change for their cause using only a cardboard sign as a homeless person might be forced to and they packed lunches for a local soup kitchen.</p><p>For its first year, Glenn said she has been pleased with student involvement in the Hunger and Homeless Week events. As a metropolitan campus that serves a diverse community, many of the students have experienced hunger themselves. In 2008, Spartanburg County had the lowest per capita income and median household income of any urban county in the state, according to the Spartanburg Community Indicators Project. </p><p>"It's hit home for a lot of students in this area," Glenn said. "… You can ride up and down Asheville Highway and see it and that's sad, but you can see that it's a need in our community."</p>